Photo: Selina McCallum
BRAMPTON, ON (January 11, 2022) – The City of Brampton is proud to display a new mural at Brampton Fire and Emergency Services (BFES) Station 211 as part of public art project that seeks to create place making opportunities around the city. With the assistance of STEPS (Sustainable Thinking and Expression on Public Space) Public Art, a new bold and colourful mural depicting the open countryside, celebrating local wildlife and the agricultural heritage of the area was installed.
The production and presentation of public art is a key priority of Brampton’s Culture Master Plan, and a vehicle for facilitating meaningful exchange between diverse creators and their community. Blended with BFES’ ongoing commitments to community building, this mural supports social cohesion, connection to place and contributes to the creation of a unique and distinctive identity for Brampton.
This is the third initiative the City of Brampton has worked with STEPS on. In October 2021, a
public art pilot project was introduced in downtown Brampton with murals in storefronts and select traffic boxes.
About the artistThe artist behind the piece, Pam Lostracco, is a muralist and graphic designer who was born and raised in Brampton. She graduated from OCAD with two scholarships, and has worked at design studios creating brands, books and illustrations. Lostracco’s experience in design and her love for the outdoors has expanded her passion for murals, creating pieces on display across Canada. The mural at Station 211 was designed to integrate with the fire hall’s architecture and the natural environment around it.
Quotes
“Brampton is a Mosaic and one that continues to come to life thanks to creative collaborations like this one. Brampton Fire and Emergency Services are engrained in our community and it’s so wonderful to see the introduction of public art at their stations to connect with residents even further and make art accessible to all.”
- Patrick Brown, Mayor, City of Brampton
“It’s so wonderful to see public buildings brought to life with public art. This exciting project with Brampton Fire and Emergency Services will help to foster positivity and community relationships even more. Thank you to Pam Lostracco for creating this beautiful piece.”
- Rowena Santos, Regional Councillor, Wards 1 & 5; Vice-Chair, Corporate Services, City of Brampton; Council Panel Member, Arts, Culture & Creative Industry Development Agency
“This project with Brampton Fire and Emergency Services, our Cultural Services team and STEPS perfectly illustrates what great collaboration can bring to the community. These murals will connect our fire stations to their surroundings as spaces of safety, relationship building and creativity, contributing to our vibrant community.”
- David Barrick, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Brampton
“Our entire Brampton Fire and Emergency Services team is dedicated to building lasting relationships with the community through education, connection and safety. I am excited to see our first mural unveiled today and know it will provide our community with even more of an opportunity to connect and engage with one another.”
- Bill Boyes, Fire Chief, Brampton Fire and Emergency Services
"STEPS is delighted to collaborate with the City of Brampton and artist Pam Lostracco to bring this new mural to life; a creative reflection of the rich farmlands and natural areas surrounding Flower City."
- Erin Glover, Interim Program Director, STEPS Public Art
"This project is extra special to me since Brampton is my hometown where I lived on the border between city and countryside. When the Division Chief of Fire described the deer that play in the cornfields behind the station, I knew the window design had to integrate with the natural life and open landscape that staff view from those very windows.”
- Pam Lostracco, Artist
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www.brampton.caMEDIA CONTACTJacqueline Fulton
Senior Advisor, Media Relations, City of Brampton
416.806.7448 |
Jacqueline.fulton@brampton.ca